A little good, bad, old and new

The Christmas issue of NOAA’s Weather Bureau Topics with “Santa Claus” streaking across a weather radar screen, 1958 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I was good this year.
Well, mostly good. And Santa recognized it by bringing me mostly good things.
He did bring me something bad, but it’s nothing that won’t pass.
I can blame both the good and bad on Santa, as, well, if I’m telling you this story, I cannot confirm or deny doing anything bad this past year.
The bad thing that stands out in my head (literally) right now is the sinus cold Santa delivered Christmas Day night.
I thought it might have been allergies kicking up. But then when I watched the Broncos-Chiefs game, I started to have the feeling that it really was turning into a head cold.
After watching the defending champs get drubbed by Kansas City, I actually had a good night’s sleep. But the tickle in my sinuses was still there the next morning.
The one thing about Santa, and no mater what you may think of him, is, he’s always full of surprises. For me, it was the first Christmas that had me feeling physically under the weather.
During the best of times it’s easy to say everything is sweet, rosy, cheery and good.
It’s during the worst of times a person’s mettle is tested.
When you feel crappy, you have to take special precautions to not take it out on the ones you love.

The ones you love are not happy you are not feeling good. Sometimes, it’s not always easy for us to remember that.

In between pondering naps (while a noble winter time past time), the temperatures outside are 70 degrees. I’m hearing leaf blowers instead of the clanging of snow shovels. While I know these warm climes won’t continue forever, it’s just not conducive to winter napping right now.
So all in all, I was thinking it would be a good idea to take the energy I had pre-nap as it were (that didn’t happen), and apply it to something useful.
This year is closing fast and hard and has left its mark on all of us–good and bad.
Sometimes, if you have the chance for a makeover, it can provide a new perspective on things.
Take the appearance of hittingthesweetspot by Bob Skelley for example.
I’m an old print journalist and a few years back I changed the site’s look to one that reflected my print experience. It looked sort of like a digital magazine. At the time it appeared pretty striking to me, especially compared to the basic, simple theme I chose when I first began the blog.
As the site’s content grew, I updated its appearance to reflect the print periodical background I have.
Today, it looks dated. So I reworked the theme so as to not look so “busy.” At least that was the goal.
The blog is still relatively young, growing and the journey is not yet near over. We evolve.
Fortunately, writing a little piece here and there is not too difficult, whether I’m feeling 100% or not.
Mostly, I needed a makeover and so did the blog.
All of the content is still here and I hope as easy to find as ever.
2017 is coming like a freight train. Change is scary, but in order to get the most out of it, we can’t let it frighten us too much.
Our ability to adapt, to utilize old experience, to work as best with the bad stuff that has happened to us, channel it into something constructive and find some positive momentum heading into 2017, is what we’re all seeking.
hittingthesweetspot by Bob Skelley at bobskelley.com will turn 5 this coming April. Seems like yesterday when we began the journey here; a lot has changed. The passage of time is constant and our perception of the rate at which it passes, is tempered by the good and bad we’ve experienced.
Which brings me back to the fact I was good this past year. I even used the head cold as inspiration–which always seems to come from the strangest sources (the inspiration, not the head cold).
None of this matters. To my readers, I wish you all the ability to find ways to make your lives as fruitful and enjoyable as possible in 2017.
And I thank you all for everything we’ve experienced together along the way thus far–good, bad, old and new.